Fire extinguishing apparatus



April 2, 1935. E. A. LOWE FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Oct. 16, 1950 April 2, 1935. E. A. LOWE 1,996,478

FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 16, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2gvwemtoz frflowe 3513x abbot/nu e ETMMJqQJ Patented Apr. 2, 1935 UNITEFlC r 1,996,478 7 FIRE EXTINGUISHING APPARATUS Ernest A. Lowe, ClevelandHeights, Ohio, assignor to Automatic Sprinkler Company of America,Cleveland, Ohio, a. corporation of Delaware Application October 16,1930, Serial No. 489,012

Claims.

5 a number of protected fire sections or areas whensuch section or asystem more particularly described and claimedv in my co-pendingapplication filed June 29, 1934, Serial No. 732,984, in which system apressure producing element positioned in a fire zone and constructed toprovide a relatively sudden pneumatic impulse for opening the maincontrol valve of the system where there is a sufficient rate of rise oftemperature adjacent the same, .and in which the operation of the mainvalve is rendered certain by providing a fixed temperature device suchthat when this temperature is reached the impulse for opening the mainvalve is provided in any event.

The invention herein claimed will further be described as applied to asystem also described and claimed in said copending case wherein Iprovide a normally closed outlet and automatic devices operating on afixed relatively high temperaturecon'dition for opening the outlet andsimultaneously supplying the pneumatic impulse required for opening themain valve, this feature assuring an opening of the main valve eventhough the preliminary devices do not operate.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully from the followingdescription when considered in connection with the drawings.

My present application relates more particularly to the construction ofthe main control valve and the means immediately combined therewith andresponsive to the change of pneumatic pressure for unlatching or freeingthe main valve. In the drawings: a a

Fig. l is a fragmentary view of a fire extinguishing system embodying myinvention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the main valve and release mechanismemployed herein,

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the valve in open condition.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of one type of control for use in the firezone to open the main valve .and discharge outlet.

Referring now to the details of the drawings, there is discloseda mainwater supply pipe indicated at 2 which connects with any desired numberof risers or feed mains M (one such riser being shown in Fig. 1)"leading away from the main valve head l5. It is preferred to provide amanual control valve it so that the supply of fire extinguishing fiuid,water for example, may be manually shut 01f whendesired, as during re-.-setting of apparatus. For the sake of safety the pressure gaugeindicated at .Il' may likewise be' installed on the water main adjacentits connection at the head I 5 to indicate the available water pressure.From the risers It, the required number of branch lines 3 and I9 extend.intothe difierent fire areas to insure a supply of water to all parts ofthe structure protected by the system.

In order to maintain the pipe lines including the risers and branchlines normally dry and subjected to atmospheric pressure, I haveemployed a main control valve l5 formed with an outside or drain openingof substantial size, normally unobstructed but closed on operation ofthe apparatus. .With this construction no water will normally be presentin the system outwardly of the head. I5 and the risers and branch linesmay therefore be installed in any unheated building without danger ofthe pipe becoming frozen in extreme weather.

The main valve 15 is constructed to be automatically operated upon theoccurrence of a fire condition. To this end I have shown a separateimpulse conducting conduit 22 extending from the main control valve l5and connected with branch conduits 23 and 2t which lead to the variousfire sections or areas. The conduits 22, 23 and 24 are formed of tubingand are normally subjected to atmospheric pressure by providing arestricted outside leak or opening 33 which is sufiiciently large tomaintain the interior of the conduit at substantially atmosphericpressure under normal atmospheric temperature and. pressure changes butwhich is ineffective to relieve the pneumatic impulse utilized foroperating the valve I5 as hereinafter fully described.

The main control valve I5 is constructed as shown in detail in Figs. 2and 3. The valve casing includes the water inlet 25 and outlet 26 theformer being connected to the water main I2 and the latter to the risersi i. Positioned between the inlet and outlet is an opening 2? whichaccommodates the operating support 28 for the Valve closure 29. Thisclosure is constructed to control the inlet 25 and also the opening 2'!so that when the closure is moved away from the valve seat 39 of theinlet it is moved into engagement with the valve seat El of the opening2? to close the interior of the head 65 and to permit the passage ofwater from the water main to the risers. This position of the valveclosure is shown in Fig. 3. The opening 2'? serves a further importantfunction of permitting the system to be automatically drained when themain valve is closed and also of permitting the circulation of airwithin the supply pipes extending to and into the fire areas. Thesupport 28 for the valve is shown as pivoted at 32 to a supportingstructure 34 positioned without the valvecasing I5.

The valve closure 29 is constructed to be controlled by an impulsepreferably pneumatically transmitted through the conduits 23 or 24 and22. In the form of the invention disclosed the pneumatic impulse isutilized to expand a partially collapsed bellows 36 to move theoperating elcment 38 thereof outwardly. In order to insure instant andunfailing operation of the valve controlling mechanism it is preferredto store a considerable quantity of latent mechanical or other energy inthe valve controlling mechanism which energy can be easily; released toopen the valve. To this end the valve controlling mechanism includes aweighted lever ii] pivotally supported as at H and which is normallyretained in raised position (but in a position of unstable equilibrium)by means of a detent or latch 32. The latch '52 has one end 63 thereofengaged against the weighted lever 48 and the other end 4 positioned tobe engaged by the movable element 38 of the bellows 35. The lockinglever 45, shown as pivotally supported at (i? on the supportingstructure 34, includes a locking lug 48 and an operating extension 50.The extension 59 is positioned to be engaged by the weighted portion ofthe lever 50 when the latter swings downwardly due to the force ofgravity. A valve control lever 52 is pivotally supported from the valvehead as by means of the bracket 53 and includes a locking extension 5constructed to engage the lug 48, and an adjustable set screw or stopmember 5'0 which engages the operating rod 28 of the valve to hold thelatter normally in closed position against the valve seat 39. Theadjustable stop member 56 permits the valve closure 29 to be accuratelyclosed when the lugs 48 and 54 are in engagement. By this constructionit will be seen that'upon a pneumatic impulse being transmitted througha conduit 22, 23 or 24 to the bellows 33 the member 38 is moved againstone arm 44 of the latch 62 to release the weighted lever lll whichthereupon falls by gravity against the operating extension 58 of theretaining lever i6 releasing the latter from engagement with the controllever 52, thereby permitting the valve closure 29 to move from closed toopen position, that is, from the valve seat 36 to the valve seat 3 topermit the passage of the fire extinguishing fluid from the water mainstoward the discharge outlets.

Referring now to the devices illustrated in detail in Fig. 4 and whichserve to supply the position by means of the toggle levers 60 and 35having one pair of arms thereof extending above and below the bellows,the other ends 60a, Bla, herein termed the jaws, being normally heldspaced by means of the coacting levers 62 which engage against oneanother and against the interior of the jaws Ella, Sta. The levers 62are normally prevented from separating to permit the collapse of thebellows 58 by a temperature responsive structure shown as a fusibleelement 6 3 connecting the outer or free ends of the levers 52.

In the form of the invention shown the discharge outlets 62-3 of thebranch lines i8 and H are normally closed by means of the displace ableclosures 55 held in place by the levers 62 coincidently with thespreading of the levers 6B and 6!. The jaws tile and Sin. of levers 66and (ii are positioned between the closure and the element 67 shown asan adjustable set screw carried by the sprinkler head 83a. member 66shown aspositioned within the bellows 53 is normally under tension andwhen the levers El! andfil are released by reason of fusion of theelement M or otherwise the bellows is collapsed by means-of the spring66 permitting the displacement of the closure Stand creating thepneumatic impulse in the conduit 24 required for operation of thebellows 36 and valve mechanism 36. The fluid discharged from the outlet63 may be caused to assume the form of a spray by means of any preferredform of sprinkler head 63a.

'For the purpose of supplying a pneumatic impulse for. opening the mainvalve where a predetermined rate of rise of temperature occurs butwithout reference to the actual temperature present there is employed inassociation with the bellows 58 a rate of rise device comprising a heatabsorbing expansible element shown as a bellows 79 attached to a bracketi2. A bell crank lever H3 pivoted at T5 is engaged with the upperormovable wall H of the bellows it, the lower or free end of the lever Mbeing formed with a projection 16 normally engaged with and holding aretaining lever '18 pivotally supported at an intermediate point asindicated at vi9 to an extension formed on the upper movable wall 58a ofthe compression device or bellows 58. The end of the lever 18 oppositethe bell crank lever it bears in supported relation against the end 50bof lever 60, the levers M and 69 supporting the link 18 with thecompression device 58 expanded as shown in Fig. 4. In order to preventnormal changes in the temperature or pressure conditions adjacent theelement H! from releasing lever 18 the interior of element, H3communicates with the outside air through a leak as shown at 89, thefunction of this restricted opening being to permit the passage of smallquantities of air to or from the interior of the element 10 but on anysubstantial rise' in the temperature at a rapid rate such as resultsfrom an abnormal rate of change due to fire, the opening 80 isinsufilcient to accommodate the pressure change within the bellows ll)and it is expanded to elevate the movable wall H for the purposesappearing more fully below.

In the use of the above controlling devices the parts are normallyretained in the position shown in Fig. 4. On the occurrence of a fireproducing a relatively rapid rate of rise of temperature adjacent theelement It the pressure produced therein elevates the wall H thusdisengaging the projection 'lfi from the lever 18. This permits thespring 66 to collapse the bellows 58 and to send The spring a pneumaticimpulse through the tubing 24 to the pressure responsive element 36 foropening the main valve. This operation however does not produce theopening of the outlet 63 but instead the levers Bil, 6| and 62 remain intheir original condition with the outlet closed. If thereafter asufiicient heat is developed to fuse the link 64 the outlet is thenopened and the fire extinguishing fluid, previously supplied adjacentthe outlet 63 through the opening of the main valve, is permitted toescape and to extinguish the flame. In case the fire is not large orextensive, that is of such a character that the increase in temperatureis insufficient to actuate the heat responsive element 18 to operate thebell crank lever 14 the main valve remains closed until the link 64 isfused on the attainment of the predetermined relatively high heatcondition at whatever rate attained and due to prolongation of the fire.The fusing of the link 64 under these conditions causes the levers 60and (ii to become free of the holding effect of the levers E2 and as aresult the extension 692) recedes from the end of the lever 18 andpermits the spring 66 to compress the pressure producing device aspreviously explained.

By means of the above described devices mechanism is provided to producea relatively strong pneumatic impulse for opening the control valve onthe occurrence of a rapidly increasing fire resulting in a predeterminedrapid rate of rise of temperature such as will open the bellows but inany event when a fixed abnormally high temperature is reached which maybe ineffective upon bellows 19, then the fluid outlet in the fire zoneis opened and the pneumatic impulse is forwarded for opening the mainvalve.

It will be understood that the specific embodiment of the inventionherein disclosed is merely illustrative and that variations may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The means hereinbefore described for generating the pneumatic impulsewhich is supplied to the pneumatic pressure responsive means immediatelyassociated with the main control valve form the subject of claims in myco-pending application filed June 29, 1934, Serial No. 732,984 and aretherefore not claimed herein.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application,Serial No. 68,283, filed November 11, 1925.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. In a dry-pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, a fluid supply valvecasing provided with an inlet opening and a drain opening, valve closuremeans constructed to close either of said openings, an operatingextension'connected to said closure means and extending from within saidcasing outwardly through said drain opening, means without the casingnormally engaging said extension to hold the closure means in inletclossaid casing for normally maintaining said 010- sure means inposition to close said inlet opening, and a pneumatic releasing meansfor said latching means outside of said valve casing responsive toincrease of pneumatic pressure applied thereto in consequence of a fire.

3. In a dry-pipe fire extinguishing apparatus,

a fluid supply valve casing provided with an inlet opening and a drainopening, valve seats adjacent said openings, a valve formed with aclapper constructed to cooperate with either of said valve seats andmovable to position to close said inlet opening or said drain opening,means holding the valve in inlet closing position and means forcontrolling the position of said valve including an expansible devicenormally contracted under atmospheric pressure and expanded by anincrease of pressure due to fire conditions for releasing the valve fromits inlet closed position.

4. In a dry-pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, a fluid supply valvecasing provided with an inlet opening and a drain opening, valve closuremeans constructed to close either of said openings, a controlling shaftoperatively associated with said closure means, a latch engageable withsaid shaft for normally maintaining said 010- sure means in position toclose said inlet opening, and means for controlling said latch includingan expansible device normally contracted under atmospheric pressure andexpanded by an increase of pressure due to fire conditions for releasingthe latch.

5. In a dry-pipe fire extinguishing apparatus, a valve casing formedwith an inlet opening and a drain opening of substantially the samesize, a movable closure positioned within said casing and constructed toclose either of said openings, means holding the closure in inletclosing position, means for supporting said closure during its movementfrom one of said openings to the other and means including a bellowshaving a bleeder opening maintaining the same normally under atmosphericpressure said bellows adapted to receive and operate under rapidincrease of pressure for releasing said closure from its positionclosing the inlet and permit said closure to close said drain opening.

ERNEST A. LOWE.

